Improvement in sewing-machines



G; W. STEDMAN.

Sewing Machine.

Patented July 3, 1855.

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5 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEO. w. STEDMAN, 0E VIENNA, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 13,201, dated July 3,1855.

of in the same position; Fig. 3, a side view,

showing it in the act of receding from the loop of the needle-thread;Fig. 4, an edge View thereof in thesame position; Fig. 5, a section inthe line at as, Fig. 1; Fig. 6, view of the under or flat side of thebobbin.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The nature of my invention consists in mounting a bobbin, or itsequivalent, containing the second or shuttle-thread, upon a reciprocating plate or looper, which, having a pointed projectionextending before said bobbin, first enters the loop of the needle-threadand then carries the bobbin over and through it, substantially ashereinafter set forth, whereby I am enabled to make the shuttle-stitchwithout the employment of a shuttle, thus avoiding several defects andinconveniences in its use and gaining additional advantages.

I prepare a plate, A, substantially of the form shown in the drawings,2'. e., pointed at one end and widening toward the middle sufficientlyto cover a bobbin, B, of convenient size, and as thin as may be andinsure the proper degree of strength and rigidity. Th s plate isarranged in a proper position below the cloth-plate to enter the loop ofthe needlethread, and is caused to reciprocate or vibrate precisely inthe same manner as an ordinary looper for forming the chain orsingle-thread stitch by any convenient and well -known means. It may beattached to a rock-shaft or other device for giving it motion by meansof a bolt, m, and nut n.

The bobbin B consists of a circular case formed of a convex plate, f, onone side and a flat plate, 9, on the other, the two plates being unitedby an eyelet or rivet, h, Figs. 5 and 6, in the center, or byany othersuitable means.

The flat plate 9 is somewhat less in diameter than the convex plate f,so as to leave sufficient space inside of the edge of the latter for thethread 8 to be wound in or unwound, as seen in the same figures, and itsouter surface is sunk below or flush with the edge of said plate f,which will consequently rest closely upon any fiat surface andcompletely hide the flat plate. The object of this is to allow the loopof the needle-thread to pass under the bobbin without being in danger ofgetting inside thereof. The bobbin has a round shallow cavity in thecenter of each face, the one in the flat plate 9 fitting over a roundedprojection, (I, Fig. 5, on the surface of the loop-plate A, and that inthe convex plate f fitting over a similar projection, c, on the underside of w.

an elastic plate or spring, 0, one end of which is attached to theloop-plate A, as shown in the drawings. These projections fitting intothe cavities of the bobbin keep it in place, serve as axes or gudgeons,011 which the bobbin turns in unwinding its thread, and at the same timeallow the loop of the needle-thread to freely pass under and over saidbobbin. screw, 1', is employed to adjust the pressure of the spring onthe bobbin in order to obtain the proper degree of tension of itsthread. A rigid plate might be used instead of the spring, 0 provided alittle space, sufficient for the passage of the thread, should beallowed over the bobbin; but I- consider the spring superior, not onlybecause the tension of the thread is regulated thereby, but forconvenience in inserting and withdrawing the bobbin by sim ply liftingit therefrom. The forward end of the loop-plate is curved away from thebobbin a little, as shown at a, Figs. '2 and 4, the curve commencingsome distance back of the front edge of said bobbin, for the purpose ofcausing the loop of the needle-thread (indicated by the letter 1) in thedrawings) to pass under the bobbin when the loopplate is entering theloop or going in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2.WVhen the bobbin has passed entirely over the loop 1) and the loop-plateagain recedes, the said loop is required to return on the other or upperside of the bobbin, and as the under sidethereof lies flat and ispressed closely upon the loopplate, it will readily do so. But toprevent the possibility of its returning below the bobbin, I generallybend up one edge of the loopplate a little, as shown at b, opposite thehind edge of the bobbin, for the purpose of spreading or raising theloop.

Instead of the cavities in the center of the bobbin and thecorresponding projections on the loop-plate A and spring 0, the wholebobbin may rest and turn in a shallow cavity formed The advantages of myabove-described sub-.

stitute for a shuttle for forming a shuttlestitch are principallygreater cheapness, si1nplicity, and facility of construction, norubbingsurfaces of a shuttle in its race, so that no oil is requiredwhich might soil the thread, no friction and noise incident to themotion of a shuttle, as the loop-plate is firmly attached to its driver,and especially obviating all liability of missing the stitch or hittingand breaking the needle, because the loop-plate acts with all theprecision and firmness of an ordinary looper, while the passage of theloop around the bobbin is sure and unerring.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Mounting a bobbin or its equivalent upon and combining it with areciprocating plate or looper, which is provided with a pointedprojection extending before said bobbin, and arranged so as to enter theloop of the needlethread, then carry the bobbin over the outside of andfinally back through said loop, substantially as described, whereby theliability to miss the stitch and break the needle, together with thenoise and friction of a shuttle, is avoided, the use of oil forlubricating the shuttle-race dispensed with, and the consequent soilingof the thread prevented.

2. Constructing the bobbin with one face sunk below or flush with theedge of the other face, its thread consequently unwinding from its faceinstead of its periphery for the purpose of preventing the loop of theneedlethread'getting inside of the bobbin, substantially as herein setforth.

The above specification of my new and useful improvement insewing-machines signed by me this 7th day of June, 1855.

GEO. XV. STEDMAN. lVitnesses:

Isaac BURROUGHS, DANIEL HULL.

